Conference misery::feline_v1

    I haven't actually used one, but everything I have read indicates
    they really don't work....I'ld be interested to hear from those
    who might have actually used the devices.
    
    I was having a terrible problem with fleas, last year, and began
    using a product called "Proban".  It was difficult for me to get,
    since it is available only through a vet and is only approved for
    use in dogs.  But, I finally talked my vet into letting me use it.
    I got rid of my flea problem very quickly, and haven't seen a flea
    at all this summer.  
    
    I will say, for me, this was a last resort.  I had tried all the
    other tricks, flea baths, sprays, powders, collars, bombing the
    house, the whole bit.  Proban cannot be used until at least 2 weeks
    after using one of these other products.  Proban can be given in
    one of two ways, either orally, or through the ear canal...both
    seem to be equally effective.  The proban works on the respiratory
    system of the flea and sufficates it, after it bites the cat!! 
    Kinda a Catch 22, but it does work.  
    
    Any others with new ways of dealing with fleas??
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    My cat, Memo, has been wearing one of those collars for about 5
    months now, with mixed results.  Here's the deatils:
    
    Her flea infestation was not heavy, but she seemed to be allergic
    to them.  Broke out in little scab-like sores on her back, especially
    around the base of her tail.  She was itchy & miserable.  I took
    her to the vet and he gave her a shot (steroids I believe) which
    cleared up the problem in just a couple of days.  But the side effects
    were almost as bad as the allergic reaction.  She got very depressed
    and ate so much people thought she was either pregnant or had swallowed
    a softball.  The shot wore off in about three months and the reaction
    returned.
    
    The vet tried a different shot (this time a hormone) that didn't
    work at all.  I had heard that all those standard flea treatments
    (the kind Cin tried) didn't work, so I got her the ultrasonic collar.
    
    It took about a month before I was able to notice any effect, but
    her condition began to improve!  After two months she was in pretty
    good shape, but not 100% better.  She seemed comfortable though,and I 
    was satisfied.
    
    Then another problem occured.  The collar is so large and heavy
    that it began to create sores on either side of her neck.  I had
    to remove the collar so the sores could heal, which took about three
    weeks.  During that time the allergic reaction came back with a
    vengence.  No longer were the sores just on her back, now they were
    all over her.  (While the collar was off, my wife made Memo a much
    more comfortable strap for the unit to hang on.) 
    
    As much as I hated to do it, she needed some relief, fast!  So it was
    back to the vet for another shot of the steroid (a much lower dose
    and we are watching her food intake now so she doesn't reach blimpic 
    proportions).  That was about a month ago, and the problem is now back 
    under control.
    
    The conclusion I have come to is that the collar does work, but
    slowly, and is not 100% effective.  My guess is that the results
    would probably be more dramatic on a cat with a heavy infestation,
    but that's just a guess.  To me it seemed worth the $50 to give
    the collar try.  I knew the traditional stuff wouldn't work and
    was not aware of "proban", which sounds like a good product although
    I'm not sure how well it would work for Memo since the fleas have
    to bite first.  
    
    Hope this was of some small help.
    
    -- Craig

    In approximately 4 years of breeding I have had a flea problem twice,
    and I had a body mite problem once (the latter is much harder to
    get rid of in my experience).  Breeders seem to know all kinds of
    exotic ways to deal with these things, cause ALL of us get them
    at one time or another - it can't be completely avoided if you are
    showing...  Once My cat picked up fleas from the show motel!!! 
    Now I've made a habit of setting off a small flea bomb in my room
    a couple of hours before I take the cat in.
    	In any case, I had tried the ultrasonic devices at one time,
    and although they don't seem to be much help when there is an
    infestation, friends of mine tell me they seem to work well in keeping
    fleas away if they aren't already there.  I will have to say though
    that most of those people will also dip their cats if they do see
    a flea - so it isn't a good controlled experiment....
    	When my cat came home with body mites one time, it was awful
    trying to do away with the little buggers.  They seemed to keep
    coming back.  Finally I followed some advice of another breeder.
    For 4 consecutive weeks, I dipped each of my cats ON THE SAME DAY,
    and also had the premises sprayed with PRECOR. Precor is mainly
    malathion, which is a chemical (often used in yardwork) that mimics
    an insect juvenile hormone.  Essentially what it does is keep the
    fleas/mites from being able to mature into adults - they die in
    the larval stage.  After that I had my house sprayed quarterly,
    and had no further problem.  What did I use to dip the cats?  Well,
    I like to use a 30% solution of lime sulphur diluted 1/20 with water.
    It's pretty stinky, but it works great, and is NON-TOXIC to kitties.
    I like to stay away from the organo-phosphate type flea control
    products (those with sevin, and other insecticides) because many
    cats are ultra-sensitive to them, and an overdose can kill or paralyze
    your pet.  (The precor is non-toxic to cats) 
    	Re: PROBAN
    	    I have a friend who has been using proban on her cats for
    9 years.  I am thinking seriously of trying to get some myself.
    I don't know why it has never been officially approved for cats,
    but I wish it would be!  My friend has not had ANY trouble with
    any of the cats since she started using the proban, and she hasn't
    noticed any breeding problem or any abnormalities in the descendents
    of her cats.  Sounds pretty safe to me.  A lot of breeders who have
    dogs use it both on the dogs and the cats.  They tell me you just
    have to be careful of the doseage.  BTW, Cin, what is the doseage?
    
    Cheers everyone!
    
    Molly
         

    Hi Molly,
    
    I use 1 CC per cat, twice weekly.  That is less than the recommended
    doseage both on the bottle, and from other breeders.  I was a little
    nervous of it at first, so I decided to give less than I was told
    to.  I haven't had a problem since I've used it either with breeding,
    or raising kittens.  I have had Look Alike on it the entire time
    she was pregnant and nursing her kittens.  During this time, I cut
    the doseage in half for her though, and administered it through
    the ear canal.  
    
    I haven't seen a flea since the original problem was cured, although
    I do continue to keep the cats on it.  It's fairly inexpensive,
    in relation to other products.  I have used 3 large bottles of it
    since I started using it a little more than a year ago, and it costs
    about $25 per bottle.  I must admit, that since the problem has
    been gone, I am not so accurate about doing it twice a week, I
    sometimes let it go about 5 days or more inbetween doseages.  I
    DO NOT use it on kittens.  
    
    CAUTION:  You have to be extremely cautious not to use any other
    flea product when you are using proban.  No Flea Shampoos, sprays,
    or bombing of the house, etc.  Any of these things can lead to
    poisioning of the cat.  
    
    
    The only minor symptom I have noticed, is that my Xotie seems to
    weeze a little the day she gets the proban.  I don't know if this
    is psychosyematic for her, but none of the other cats do this. 
    
    
    My vet, who was skeptical at first, has now seen the results....almost
    everyone in my area has had a problem with fleas this year and I
    have a litter of clean healthy flea free kittens to show my success.
    
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    Hi Molly,
    
    Re: .3
    
    I know this is much delayed (didn't work here last year) but you
    should know that malathion is an organophosphate pesticide and not
    a synthetic juvenile hormone.  Malathion was much used in the
    biochemical toxicology program in my grad school so I am sure it
    is an organophosphate (also I am a Toxicologist).
    
    Something I've read about but haven't tried is the oil in citrus
    peel.  It is supposed to be quite lethal to insects - fleas, flies
    and roaches were named.  The oils are being invesatigated now but
    I've heard some people have scored the outer peel of oranges or
    lemons and rubbed that into the cta's fur to get rid of the fleas.
    
    Frank